County Cork Tourist Attractions List of sites and attractions in County Cork

The name comes from "An Gleann Garbh" - the rugged glen - which is derived from the rugged beauty of the mountains and wooded valleys surrounding the village. Magnificent views of the Caha Mountains and the bulk of Sugarloaf can be seen from the numerous viewpoints along the roads which hug the coastline or wind along the steep sided valleys.

Mizen Head Signal Station is open to the public for the first time since it was completed in 1910. The Mizen Vision! Visitor Centre in the Keeper's House and the Engine Room, the famous Suspension Bridge, the 99 Steps and the views up the South and West Coasts combined with the exhilaration and excitement of the wild Atlantic waves and ancient tortured rocks guarantee a unique and authentic experience.

Kinsale's narrow streets all lead to the sea, dropping steeply from the hills that rim the beautiful harbor. This is undoubtedly one of Ireland's most picturesque towns, but the myriad visitors who crowd the streets every summer attest to the fact that the secret is out. The walk from Kinsale through Scilly to Charles Fort and Frower Point is breathtaking. Kinsale has the added benefit of being a foodie town, with no shortage of good restaurants.

Queenstown it was for some decades before reverting to its old Irish name in 1922 - the Cobh (cove) of Cork. Is there anywhere in Ireland more full of poignant memories than this embarkation point for America? From here hundreds of thousands of mostly hungry and penniless Irish men and women left to build a new life, especially in the Famine years of 1844-48. Many thrived and prospered, but many died on the journey in the terrible travelling conditions of the time.

Situated on the coastline of East County Cork, there is no town in Ireland that gives you Ireland's past and present more vividly than Youghal (pronounced Yawl or as in "Y'all come to see us now!")

This historic walled seaport town adjoins a glorious 5km beach of Atlantic Surf. It has been recently designated by the Irish Tourism Board as an Irish Heritage Port, due to the many historic buildings and monuments within its ancient town walls.

Despite the mobs of tourists who besiege the castle daily, this majestic tower house is worth a visit. While you're there, check out the Badger Cave and dungeons at the tower's base, as well as the serpentine paths that wind through the castle gardens, in a picturesque rocky glen. Need we mention the Stone? You sidle in under the upper wall with your head hanging over a 10-story drop. You kiss it. It's a thing people do.

On a promontory in stunning Kinsale Harbor, the fort's massive walls enclose a complex array of buildings in varying states of repair. At the entrance you're handed a map and left on your own to explore, discover, and almost certainly get lost in the maze of courtyards, passages, walls, and barracks.

Mallow (Irish Magh Eala "valley of the swans") is the "Crossroads of Munster" and the administrative capital of north County Cork, in Ireland. The Northern Divisional Offices of Cork County Council are located in the town. A thriving and prosperous market centre, Mallow is the largest town along the lovely Blackwater Valley, and a good centre from which to explore that river and many interesting locations in the neighbourhood. Up to a century ago it was renowned as a spa, with crowds of visitors frequenting it - crowds whose behaviour gave rise to the well-known song 'The Rakes of Mallow'. The old Mallow Castle stands in the middle of the town. Behind it stands the 'new' castle, a fine baronial building privately owned and superbly maintained. In the grounds you might catch a glimpse of a herd of white fallow deer. They are all descended from two white bucks presented by Queen Elizabeth I to an earlier owner.

Situated on the N22 midway between Cork City and Killarney is Macroom a busy market town in the valley of the Sullane River. The Gateway which is all that remains of Macroom Castle is interesting and in fact, the town were once owned by Admiral Sir William Penn, whose son founded Pennsylvania. There is a small museum with a collection of mainly folk material. 5km west of Macroom, to the left of the main road, in a picturesque setting, Carrigaphooca Castle stands on a rock above the trees. The 'pooca' is a malicious spirit who haunted this fairytale place.

(6,065 Metres / Par 72) Not many clubs have such an attractive setting for a golf course with parkland running down to a rocky outcrop of land reaching out into Lough Mahon. An excellent championship test and one of the most attractive courses in Ireland.

(6,927 Yards / Par 71) Fota Island Golf Club is located in the heart of 780 acres of landscape. The woodlands are woven into a 71 par championship course which is a natural compliment to the other fine clubs in southwest Ireland. Host to Irish Open in 2001 and 2002.

(5,733 Metres / Par 72) Harbour Point located at Little Island on the banks of the River Lee has a particular rustic charm. It is more than a championship golf course with each fairway tree lined and each green intricately contoured. It is a complex with an in-built 21 bay, all weather and floodlit driving range positioned in acres of ground between the fifth and ninth holes.

(7,121 Yards / Par 72) Old Head incorporates a total of eighteen holes, nine of which play alongside the clifftops, providing an exhilarating test of golf and concentration for players of all standards and categories. The vagaries of the Atlantic winds will ensure that the course provides a fresh challenge each day.

Cork City is Ireland's third city (after Dublin and Belfast) and has always been an important seaport. It began on an island in the swampy estuary of the River Lee (the name Corcaigh means a marsh), and gradually climbed up the steep banks on either side. Today the river flows through Cork city in two main channels, so that you find yourself constantly crossing bridges. Some of the main streets are built over channels where ships nuzzled their anchor-chains a century ago. Along the South Mall, you will see large gateways at street level, under steps leading to a higher main door. These were once boathouses, when merchants arrived at their warehouses by water.